Rotor

I`ve taken some flak recently for not registering my UK cars etc which is fine,but I wonder how many "holier than thou/law biding" ex pats actually put something back in the Spanish system,? very few I would imagine, many are retired and have never paid tax in Spain, [U]most[U] of those who do work are illegal, they dont pay SS or their employer pays them cash in hand and avoids paying their SS (which is around €400 a month).
Local to my area I`d estimate 90% who work are illegal and the retired ones who never contributed nothing moan about the system,and to top it I`d say only 5% make a serious effort to learn Spanish,I think we are bloody lucky the Spanish are friendly and forgiving or they would make our lives hell,and rightly so.

Rgds

Rotor

bil

Can't argue with that.

My take on it is that the Spanish system is very sloppy with an awful lot of slack in it. Good if you want to live on 'the black' but it has its downsides like the illegal buildings and all the problems they spawn.

Personally, I'd rather be legal. I like a simple quiet life, and don't want to be waiting for a knock on the door.

Here in the UK, I play it very careful, and despite that we have had three major tax investigations, all of which vindicated us. The real joke is I have hear a lot of my competitors boasting about the degree they fiddle the books. Oddly they never get investigated.

El Capitan

Well, I can claim now to be 100% legal and contributing in Spain but I do not have normal residency anyway. Not being on the Costa I actually dont see many other brits around here but I do see plenty of Spanish who carry on to work their system as they always have. I even get my lawyer to do stuff which he says no Spaniard bothers to do.

Mitzyboy

I just completed my tax return
It was zero, but thats because of thw allowances and such like over here - I dont see why "being retired" is something that means we dont pay tax. I'll be paying my fair share next year when my wifes pension kicks in.

I pay my car tax on two cars and I paid registration on one and matriculation on the other

I pay tax to the Town Hall for my villa

I am learning Spanish but its a long task for a dummy like me

I dont use UK trades people any more, only local Spanish when I can


Holier than thou??? No .... just respecting the laws over here and paying our way unlike others. I have no guilt about getting on my high horse about it Rotor, I think everyone should pay their dues in a fair society.

03630

QUOTE Rotor;I`ve taken some flak recently for not registering my UK cars etc which is fine,but I wonder how many "holier than thou/law biding" ex pats actually put something back in the Spanish system,? very few I would imagine, many are retired and have never paid tax in Spain, most of those who do work are illegal, they dont pay SS or their employer pays them cash in hand and avoids paying their SS (which is around €400 a month).
Local to my area I`d estimate 90% who work are illegal and the retired ones who never contributed nothing moan about the system,and to top it I`d say only 5% make a serious effort to learn Spanish,I think we are bloody lucky the Spanish are friendly and forgiving or they would make our lives hell,and rightly so

OK lets take this one stage at a time. The argument with you isn't so much registering your cars but the fact that you are not prepared to register them in UK either. At one stage you tell us it is the cost and then later on that the cars are too old.

As for the retired, there are reciprocal arrangements within the EU, so although the retired can use the Spanish health services so can the retired Spanish use the UK system. Depending on your view it is the joy or not of the EU.

Traditional Spanish life revolves around the family, not just parents, but aunts, cousins etc. and not just at weddings, but every week. They are not materialistic. Obviously things are changing. When northern europeans come to Spain they measure the quality of life against their old values, central heating, big cars, large screen TV's etc., things that aren't important to the Spanish (traditionally anyway). You're right not many Brits bother to learn the language. As for the illegal working, that is mainly because of what I have said above. The average Brit doesn't understand the values of Spanish society and isn't prepared to work in the leather factory for 1000 euros a month. Hence the large numbers supplying services (mainly property orientated). The irony is that modern Spain is changing and there are now plenty in Barcelona who would prefer a smart car to a meal with their Mum!

Rosemary

We are retired and receive medical care (minimal) and come under the reciprocal arrangements of the EU. Always paid for prescriptions in UK and still do here although I can now claim free ones in Spain I do not because I have not paid into their system.

Money is not flowing in our household in fact we are on a fairly tight budget, however every euro we spend in Spain is 'new money' to Spain. So we are in fact in a different way putting money into the system and taking nothing out at all. Money earnt in Spain and spent in Spain is cyclical whereas the retired Brits are investing in Spain by spending on a daily basis.

Always been law abiding people and do not see why we should let our standards drop here so make sure that we do everything legally and correctly.

Rosemary

me me

Thanks for restoring my faith.

Solarwhizz

-
You should revisit your thoughts on free prescriptions, on basis that you have paid for the entitlement with your previous UK contributions(assume fully paid during your working life in the UK , all taxes and NIC etc) and if you have registed for Care in an EU state your home country continues to pay for you.
See below:-
Under European law, the health care costs of such an individual remain the responsibility of the member state paying the pension (unless the pensioner receives a pension from both countries in which case the country of residence is responsible). In many EU countries, the pensioner may choose to register as resident in that member state, in which case they can receive treatment in that country and the UK government pays an agreed sum annually to the member state to fulfil its obligation to fund that treatment. While they are in the UK, they are entitled only to treatment that arose during their stay. Registration as resident is not compulsory, and indeed in some EU countries is not an option

Rosemary

My medication is very reasonable here in comaparison with the UK but maybe I will have a re-think. I have never claimed anything in return for paying into the system all my life.

Rosemary

mikelincs

We are retired, and, although we don't pay into the Spanish system as such, we do pay our axes, spend our pensions here so the shops get our money rather that the UK ones. Expats and tourists are responsible for creating a majority of the jobs round here, so I don't think we should be moaned at. Yes the Spanish are great people and very friendly and I am learning Spanish and get get along quite well now.

jo-ann

Not true that retired dont pay taxes, we are both retired and we have submitted tax returns each year and pay the relevant taxes due, so please get your facts right. Everything thing we pay for here whether it is goods or for services includes tax, so where do you get the idea from that the retired pensioners dont pay. We have taken the trouble to learn spanish, wont ever be fluent but we can get by and get on very well with the spanish people that we meet or live near.

SueG

Agree with you totally

poshnbucks

What Tosh Rotor

My wife and I have health care here in Spain however the British Government pay 1200 pounds per year each for that care so in fact it cost the Catalan Health Service not a cent they will make on that deal. Re tax we have two Home Office Pensions Taxed at Source they can never be removed from the UK. My cars and House here in Spain are all legal taxes paid and all registered. I spend well here and that money goes into the economy. I don't pay reinvented Brits who were on the dole but now master builders in fact I do not have anything to do with them full stop. I paid over eight hundred thousand euros for my house so any jobs are completed by a village maintenance company were I can go back and sort any short comings.Not fly by nights. All payments are invoiced and they have never approached me for cash. I find for most things here I am offered a receipt. I am not saying back in the UK i did have jobs done for cash I did but they were trusted tradesman. However here I can not take a risk of any dodgy workmanship. I can not speak for all these Brits you mention as where I live they are very few and they are not of the type you mention. I wonder what your next wind up will be...... We have covered your dodgy cars now your dodgy workmates........ I know where you can buy a fast speedboat and Morocco is not that far away...... easy dosh beats building. I attach a little piccy of the latest Brit Drug Shopper

Rotor

Ha ,I may have a dodgy car but not dodgy workmates ,just know of a lot of expats are dodgy, As for the speed boat, never crossed my mind but obviously yours to mention it, so how do you afford a 800k house on a home office pension??? more that one trip in your boat no doubt!! for the record I`m not a builder.

Rgds

Rotor

poshnbucks

I do not have explain anything to anyone re my pension or otherwise I do so to explain my point on conforming to what the country in which you reside requires.My family is rather fortunate in that it has always been moneyed so it is therefore passed on. I attended Prep/Boarding School before university and moving on to my working for a living. I did have exceptional interpersonal skills and intellectual capabilities, so I worked abroad for a number of years. My pension is without shouting about it is more that most people earn on average in the UK I also have money of my own so I do not have any reason to do anything against the law. I am afraid most people fail to understand there is a diverse cross section of people on this forum not all are scrimping and stealing from their fellows.By the way the name I use has nothing to do with my financial status it was because I am a Manchester United fan and when David Beckham moved to the states poshnbucks made me smile. So there you are very boring and this is the last time I discuss such matters retired or otherwise.